Those Left Behind
by lenne18
Summary: Memories remind oneself of how much was lost when someone precious dies. And for a certain puppeteer, moving on is quite impossible because of said memories. Multiple OCs, Implied MariAri, Mima/Shinki Warning: Multiple character deaths in backstory
1. Chapter 1: Manjushage

_The village graveyard is located not far off from the Human Village. _

_Both humans and youkai treat this place sacred. _

_Red spider lillies litter both sides of the road leading to the graveyard. _

_Humans and some youkai, particularly those who have strong relations with the Human Village, are buried there._

_Today, Alice Margatroid is visiting the graveyard._

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**Those Left Behind**

**Chapter 1: Manjushage**

**by lenne18**

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On her trip to the graveyard, Alice brought with her three Shanghai dolls, each holding a single flower. Alice walked along the road as the dolls would hover behind her.

It has been a few years since her close friend, Sanae Kochiya, died.

Walking in a trance, her feet led her to Sanae's grave. She noticed a paper snake and frog on the grave.

_'It seems they haven't forgotten about her.' _

She placed one of the dolls near the snake and frog as an offering. She put her hands together and prayed.

**xxx  
**

"Good day, Miss Alice Margatroid. I am Kanako Yasaka, the goddess at the Moriya Shrine atop the mountain."

"Good day. So you are one of those people in the new shrine. How did you know my name and what business do you have with me?"

"Well, you're pretty famous in the Human Village. Anyway, I'll go straight to the point. Have you seen this girl?"

Kanako gave Alice a photograph. A smiling girl with green hair is in it.

"She's our shrine maiden, you see, and we've been worried about her since she's missing since this morning."

"We?" Alice asked at that little detail.

"Long story short, our shrine has two goddesses."

"I see. I'm sorry but I haven't seen someone with that description." Alice gave back the photograph.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for bothering you." Kanako hurriedly left.

Alice sighed and closed the door

"You can come out now."

The missing shrine maiden turned out to be hiding inside the house.

"Thank you. I owe you one."

Alice motioned the girl to sit beside the table. Tea has already been served before the interruption at the door.

"Why did you run away in the first place, huh? That's not a very smart move."

"Those two have begun fighting again. I just wish to teach them a lesson for once," the girl crossed her arms in anger.

"'Those two' meant the goddesses, right?" Sanae nodded. "I see. What's your name by the way?"

"I'm Sanae. Sanae Kochiya."

"Sanae, huh. I'm Alice Margatroid, the puppeteer. Call me Alice. A pleasure to meet you. If you want, you can stay here for a while."

"Really? Thank you!"

Sanae hugged Alice's arm. Alice did not mind but as soon as she locked eyes with Sanae, she retracted her arms back and smiled sheepishly.

"Hey," Sanae suddenly said.

"What is it?"

"We are friends now, right?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Well, the humans here have been treating me bad. You're the first human in Gensokyo that has been kind to me."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Sanae, but I'm not human. I'm actually a youkai magician."

"Y-Youkai? But you look like human, a pretty one at that. You're like one of those anime girls I see on TV."

"Anime? TV?" Alice shot her a curious look.

"Forget I said it," Sanae said with a sigh.

Alice giggled, "You're pretty interesting." Sanae sighed as realization dawned on her mind.

"You're really a youkai? You won't eat me, right?" Sanae asked with a hint of fright.

"No. As a youkai magician, I don't really need to eat anything."

Sanae sighed.

"Then, can you held up your pinky like so?" Sanae held up her pinky while the other fingers are closed.

"Like this?" Alice copied Sanae's gesture.

Sanae joined the two fingers together. A pinky promise.

"Starting from this day until forever, we are now friends!" Sanae said as she smiled at Alice.

At Sanae's beaming face, Alice couldn't help but smile. On that day, she made a precious friend.

**xxx**

She left Sanae's grave, whimpering.

_'I am stronger now than before. I can bear this.'_

She knew it was a lie since her next destination will hurt her more. Her next destination is an even closer friend, Reimu Hakurei.

Arriving there, she noticed a woman standing in front of it.

"Good day, Akane," Alice greeted the woman.

"Hello, Alice. Visiting grandmother?" said the woman named Akane. Akane Hakurei is the previous Hakurei shrine maiden. A strong and skilled woman with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, she didn't inherit Reimu's cuteness.

"Yes. Finished praying?" Alice asked as she offered another doll.

"No. Actually, I have just arrived about five minutes before you came. Would you like to pray with me?"

"Sure."

Standing in front of Reimu's grave, they prayed.

**xxx**

"It's raining..." Alice said as she stared outside..

"It's weird," Reimu suddenly said.

"What is?" Alice replied.

"That you came here, alone."

"Huh?"

"You're usually with Marisa when you visit and yet, you are here by yourself. You two had a fight?"

"Not exactly," Alice sighed. "You've changed, Reimu."

"Have I?" Reimu stared at the sighing maiden. Then, she nodded, "You're probably right. I've been trying to be a good role model for Hinata."

"I see. It's tough being a mother, huh?"

"Not really. I'm actually pretty happy right now despite the hardships," Reimu said with pride and happiness. "Now, don't change the subject. What happened between you two?"

"Marisa didn't come yet?"

"No, she hasn't. She probably won't come today."

"How do you know?"

"Just a feeling."

"You have really changed," Alice said amusingly. "Well, I guess I could share it with you. Yesterday evening, Marisa took me out. Well, you could say it was a date."

"Where?" Reimu curiously asked.

"An area deep in the Forest of Magic. We came to see the fireflies dance. Wriggle was also there but she's too busy with the fireflies so it's not like we're totally alone"

"Go on."

"Well, s-she... umm..." Alice took a deep breath. "She said that she loves me..."

"And you're here because you want some advice, right?"

"Not exactly. I just want to take my mind off of it. Plus, I already know my answer."

"You're going to reject her, right?"

"How do you know all these things? I haven't told you anything yet..."

"I'm your friend," Reimu said as she smiled. "You know, Marisa's pretty dependent on you. She has been alone ever since Mima decided to live in Makai alone."

"Don't remind me. Last time I heard, she was courting my mother," Alice said, annoyed by the idea.

"Ahem... As I was saying, Marisa was lonely and then, you came to her life. Marisa may seem strong but she's emotionally weak. You know her situation, right?"

"Yeah. Abandoned as a baby, left to die until Mima found her. With her name as her only clue, she sought her biological parents. Unfortunately, her parents rejected her again. To them, she is a bringer of misfortune. Because of this, she always felt that she needed to prove herself to everyone that her parents are wrong, that she deserves to live, that she wouldn't cause any misfortune to befall on Gensokyo. Fortunately, her parents are beginning to change their views on her due to her efforts but it's still a long way to go before she is fully accepted."

"So you still remember, huh? That's good."

Reimu paused for a bit, thinking about her next words.

"Mima has been there when she was abandoned by her parents. When Mima left her, you have been there for her, Alice."

"That's why I can't really reciprocate her feelings. At least, not in the way she wants." Alice sighed. "Someday, I'll return to Makai and stay there permanently..."

"I see. You're afraid of hurting her, right? But we're humans. We have short lifespans compared to youkai. Have you considered the possibility to be happy with her even if it's only for her lifetime?"

"She... already knows both spells to become a youkai magician. I know that she's going to use them if I accept."

"The life of a youkai magician abandoned by her beloved or the life of a human magician that ultimately ends in death. I... cannot give you anymore advice. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. At least, I can breath easier now that I've let it out."

"That's what friends are for," Reimu said as she stared outside. "That's what friends are for..."

Reimu noticed that it has stopped raining.

**xxx**

After praying, Alice felt tears in her eyes. Akane, noticing the tears, shot her a worried glance. Alice shook her head while wiping her tears, "It's alright."

Alice and Akane talked for a bit. Mostly about the current shrine maiden, Keiko. Keiko is Akane's daughter. Except for her purple hair, she looks like Reimu.

"It's nice to hear that Keiko and Ranka are still best of friends," Alice said.

"Yup. I just hope that Keiko doesn't get influenced too much."

"Huh?" Alice asked.

"Well, Ranka really likes to talk about manga and anime, whatever they are."

Alice giggled.

"What's so funny?" Akane raised her eyebrow as she asked.

"It's nothing. Just a funny memory," Alice replied. Akane just looked at her with curiosity.

_'She's got weird hobbies. Ranka is definitely Sanae's great granddaughter.'_

"Anyway, I have to go now." Tears had started to form again on Alice's eyes.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay," Alice said as she wiped her tears again. "I still have someone else to visit."

"I see." Akane decided to let the matter go despite her worry. "It's nice talking to you again. Visit us sometime when you're not busy."

"Gladly," Alice smiled despite her noticeable puffy, red eyes.

She waved Akane farewell as she left Reimu's grave. Another person is waiting for her to visit.

_'Marisa is waiting for me,'_ Alice said, determined to go by this without incident.

**xxx**

After a few minutes of knocking, Alice grew tired and let herself inside Marisa's house.

"Marisa? You there?"

She is walking around the house, scanning the rooms and looking for signs of the missing witch.

"That's odd. She's gone."

Alice never noticed any signs of a struggle so the possibility of Marisa being in danger is zero.

"Stupid witch. Why did she want to meet me here today?"

She sat down on one of the stools in the dining room. This is the last room she hasn't searched and frankly, she didn't want to. The dining room is pretty much a pig sty. Scratch that, it being described as such is an insult to pig sties.

A black cat suddenly appeared in front of Alice.

"A cat? I didn't know Marisa has a pet cat..."

The cat just purred and made its way to Alice.

"I wonder where she is..."

Alice sighed. This is stressful for the puppeteer.

"Well, I'll just make myself at home."

After making herself some tea, she noticed a few things in the dining room.

One, the stove was on before she came here. Luckily, she was here to turn it off. She knew Marisa was careless but not like this.

Two, a pot is brewing over the stove top. Apparently, it is some kind of potion.

Three, Marisa's clothes are lying near the stove. It's typical of Marisa to leave her dirty clothes anywhere inside the house.

Four, the tea is exquisite. It probably came from the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Exhausted, she looked outside to estimate the time. The sun is setting.

"That's odd. She's suppose to be here by now."

The cat started brushing itself at Alice's leg.

"What is it?"

Alice put down her cup of tea and knelt down. The cat suddenly jumped towards Alice's face.

"Waaahhh!"

Alice fell on the ground. The cat is currently on her face.

"Ouch..."

She felt pain in her bottom. 'Stupid cat. Just like Marisa.' The cat purred and then licked Alice's cheek.

"Hey! Stop tickling me! Hahaha... Stop it!"

In order for the cat to stop licking her, she grabbed the cat and placed it beside her. She then sat up swiftly. The cat stared at her curiously.

*poof* A cloud of white smoke appeared and filled the room.

When the smoke cleared, Marisa was there, sitting in front of her.

"Yo, Alice!" Marisa grinned at the puppeteer.

Alice stared at Marisa, speechless. She was naked and her eyes trailed downwards...

"I didn't know that you're a natural blonde, Marisa."

"Huh?" Marisa looked at herself. A sudden blush came over her face. "Hey! Stop staring at me!"

No reply from Alice...

"Stop it!" Marisa stood up and quickly grabbed her discarded clothes. She used it to cover herself. "Wait here until I get dressed."

Alice sat back on the stool, contemplating on what happened. 'Aha! The pot from the stove is filled with an experimental transformation potion.' With the mystery solved, she continued sipping her tea as if nothing happened.

Marisa came back later, now wearing a different dress than the one before.

"Come on. Let's go!"

Alice, confused, followed Marisa outside. It was now nighttime.

"Where are we going?" Alice asked.

"Firefly watching," Marisa replied as she started walking.

"What?" Alice stood there, dumbfounded.

Marisa walked back over to Alice and grabbed her hand. She then walked towards the same direction as before, dragging poor Alice behind.

**xxx**

Alice walked to Marisa's grave, her vision already blurry. She knew that despite the years, she could not get over her death. When she looked at her grave, tears started streaming down her face. _'I can do this,'_ Alice thought as she offered the last doll. After that, she stood up and stared at the grave. She never moved from her position, she doesn't have the will to do so. Her eyes are already streaming with tears.

Marisa is her most important person. Unlike Reimu and Sanae, Marisa was her first friend and had always been there through the good and the bad. And losing this important person is the greatest pain that she had felt in her whole lifetime.

Suddenly, a memory of Marisa flashed before her eyes.

_"Alice?"_

_"Yes, Marisa?"_

_"Can I hold your hand?"_

_"Here... What are you doing?"_

_"Transferring my magic to you..."_

_"What! You're going to kill yourself."_

_"So what? I'm already very old. I feel like I am going to die real soon. So I have to do this since I still have time."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I want to help you make your dreams come true."_

_"Thank you, Marisa."_

_"It's finished... I'm tired... Let me rest..."_

_"Marisa?" _

_"..."_

_"Open your eyes..."_

___"..."_  


_"I'm begging you, please..."_

___"..."_  


_"Wake up..."_

The memory ended. Alice felt her body go limp. She couldn't bear this any longer...

'_Will I lose more friends in my lifetime? Will the growing pain in my heart ever heal? I... don't want to be alone. I... can't...'_

Old memories of her precious friends, both happy and sad, have started flooding Alice's mind. If only she could dwell in her memories forever. But reality was different. They are dead. Her precious friends are gone. Even if they have been reincarnated, they wouldn't be the same. They will never come back. Alice could not take the harshness of reality as she dropped on the ground, sobbing.

_'Mother said that time heals all wounds. Yet, why does it still hurts so much?'_

"Hey!"

A young woman, probably in her late teens, offered a handkerchief to her.

"Wipe your tears. It's not good to see someone crying like this."

Alice stopped crying and looked up at the young woman's face. Her long, pink hair is framing her worried face. Deep blue eyes are staring at her as if trying to understand. She does not know this person but her face reminds her of somebody...

Pushing the thought out of her mind, Alice stood up and embraced the stranger tightly.

The woman returned the hug. "Let it all out," she whispered.

With those words of encouragement, Alice continued sobbing on the woman's chest. This is what she needed the most right now.

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Author Notes: Thanks to Precision and lorcanlord1 of the E-games Philippines Touhou Thread, and my girlfriend for beta reading this chapter.

**Thank you for reading and please submit a review.**


	2. Chapter 2: Ying Hua

_I find myself surrounded by darkness._

_But I can see myself even in the empty void._

_Suddenly, a bright light blinded me._

_The place is familiar._

_But the scene in front of me I wish I would not see again._

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**Those Left Behind**

**Chapter 2: Ying Hua**

**by lenne18**

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A girl in her late teens is standing in front of the large bed. A motionless body is lying on it. Two other people are in the bed, a young girl and a red-headed woman. All of them are still in their night clothes. A very sad scene made even sadder as she knew these people. The little girl is a younger version of her. The red-headed woman is her mother. And the motionless body is her other mother...

"Mama Saku... Wake up..." cried the younger version of herself.

"Don't cry..." said the red-headed woman.

"Mama Mei..."

The little girl hugged the woman tightly.

And the scene stopped. The teenager was again surrounded by darkness. Then suddenly, she found herself at the graveyard. This time, she is alone. There was no one there.

She felt a chill behind her back.

"Sakura..."

**xxx**

"Mama Saku..."

Sakura Izayoi slowly opened her eyes. Her long pink hair is scattered around the bed. Her deep blue eyes have become filled with tears.

"Is that a dream?"

She looked at the window.

"Morning already, huh?"

She sat up on the bed.

"That dream... is unusual. I haven't dreamt that since a year after Mama Saku's death. Is that a sign, I wonder? If it is, what does it mean?"

She doesn't have a clue on what it means.

"I might as well visit the graveyard. I might find clues on what my dream means since it ended there."

She stood up and started some stretching exercises.

"Objective for today is to see Lady Remilia before she went to sleep."

**xxx**

Coming out of the bath, the girl dried her hair with a towel. She opened her closet and pulled out a maid uniform. The uniforms are hand-me downs from her Mama Saku. The first time she tried one, the chest area is a _bit_ tight so she had them altered.

After dressing, she brushed her hair. She braided her hair on each side of her face, a thing she learned from her parents. She then opened out her drawer and pulled out a pocket watch. This pocket watch is another memento. She always brings it where ever she goes.

"Time to get to work!" she exclaimed.

_'And get permission from Milady to leave for a while.'_

**xxx**

The young maid caught sight of Lady Remilia while she was cleaning the hallway outside the library. She just came out of the library. She probably has some business with Lady Patchouli.

"Excuse me, Milady." The vampire turned her head to face her. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Okay. What is it?"

"I would like to visit Mama Saku today."

"Hmmm... That's too sudden. Why?"

Sakura narrated her unusual dream.

"I see. Permission granted. Say hi to Sakuya for us."

"I will. Thank you."

Milady patted the maid's head. She was smiling the whole time.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

The maid shook her head.

"Okay, then. Good morning. I'll see you later tonight."

**xxx**

It is a warm, cloudy day. Sakura closed the mansion doors. For her visit, she traded her maid uniform for a blue Chinese blouse patterned by white cherry blossoms and a pair of pants. She walked towards the gate. She has to say goodbye to her other mother, Mama Mei.

Upon seeing her mother, Sakura sighed and shook her head. She was supposed to be guarding, not sleeping. She was about to tap her sleeping mother at the shoulders but...

_"Sakuya... ZzZz..."_

She stopped her movements. Mama Mei just blurted something unusual.

"That's strange. She's not a sleep talker."

She decided to let her mother keep on sleeping. With Mama Saku gone, Mama Mei needs to get some rest. It's not easy being the chief maid, the gardener and the gatekeeper all at once.

She smiled at her sleeping mother. She then started going towards the village.

_"Take care, Sakura... We love you. ZzZz..."_

**xxx**

Sakura arrived at the village graveyard. She brought a bouquet of flowers from the village before coming here. She walked down the path to her mother. Just one more turn and she will be arriving at her mother's grave...

She heard someone cry. There is someone else there.

She saw a person crying uncontrollably over someone's grave. She tried to mind her own business despite that depressing scene. She silently approached her mother's grave and placed down the flowers. She placed her hands together...

_***thud***_

She turned her head towards the sound. This woman had dropped to the ground crying. She couldn't take it any longer. It reminded her of Mama Mei during the funeral. Her own business would have to wait.

"Hey!"

She took out her handkerchief and offered it to her.

"Wipe your tears. It's not good to see someone crying like this."

The woman stopped crying and stared at her.

_'She's a beautiful girl. She seems familiar somehow like someone I know from long ago.'_

The woman suddenly embraced her as if desperately clutching onto life.

_'Wha-!'_

A chill came down her spine. At that moment, the dream came back to her mind.

_'Is this what the dream means? Does Mama Saku want me to comfort this stranger?'_

She wasn't sure but returned the hug.

"Let it all out."

And for a few minutes, they never moved from their position. The woman continued crying and she continued comforting her. And in that few minutes, she knew that this woman's pain is far greater than anyone else in Gensokyo.

**xxx**

The woman had finished crying. She stood up straight and stared into the girl's eyes.

"You are... Sakuya's kid, right?"

The girl nodded. Another look at the woman's face brought up memories of a human she sees in the mansion a few times but that was years ago. That human should be old by now. But if this is the same person as that person from her memories then she didn't age at all. She was confused.

_'Maybe that's why her face is familiar...'_

The woman stood back and faced the grave once more. "I'll be back next year, Marisa."

She then faced the girl and said, "Thank you. I guess I needed that. You see, this grave is one of my friends."

She then pointed in another direction.

"Another friend is there..." And another direction, "...and there."

She placed her hand on her chest.

"They are the only friends I have. They are closer to me than my family."

She then turned her face back to the grave.

"This particular friend of mine is very close. You could say we're unofficial lovers. You understand?"

Sakura shook her head. _'Unofficial... lovers... What kind of relationship is that?'_

"It's okay. I must be bothering you now. Good day. Say goodbye to your mothers for me."

Before the girl could respond, the woman walked across her. Sakura turned her back, expecting to see the woman walking. But the woman stood still in front of her mother's grave.

"So Sakuya is dead, too. She probably used up her lifespan like Eirin told me. In the end, even women gifted with timeless youth cannot avoid death. Time manipulation is a powerful ability but even then, it's useless to preserve those smiles..."

The woman looked up into the sky.

"Just like me..."

She closed her eyes. In front of her, something that looks like a doll materialized from nowhere. She opened her eyes. She placed the doll on her mother's grave. She then left the scene.

_'I hope she will be alright...'_

A warm breeze enveloped her as she watched the retreating back of the mysterious woman.

**xxx**

The girl went back to the mansion. Despite the event at the graveyard, she is happy now. Arriving at the mansion gate, she noticed Mama Mei is still sleeping. She went closer, standing right next to her.

"This is bad. She's in deep slumber."

The girl sighed. At this distance, Mama Mei would already have sensed her presence and should be awake. She took a few steps back.

**"Time Sign 'Star Platinum'!"**

The girl delivered a series of rapid punches towards the gatekeeper.

**"ORA ORA ORA!"**

The supposedly sleeping gatekeeper parried every punch with one hand, matching the speed of the punches. Sakura never landed a single punch.

"I'm awake now, geez!" Mama Mei stood up and adjusted her dress. "You should really work on that spellcard but please don't use spellcards just to wake me up."

"Mama Saku says it's efficient."

Her mother scratched her head and sighed.

"Oh yeah. I met Mama Saku in my dream. She wants me to relay a message for you when you come back home."

"And what is it?"

Her mother smiled and said, "Thank you for comforting a friend of mine."

The girl smiled. Her intuition was right after all.

"You know I left?"

"Yeah. You should have told me though."

"Sorry. I thought you were asleep, Mama Mei."

"Just say something if you're leaving next time, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Come inside. I'll make food for us today."

Mother and daughter stepped inside the mansion, smiling along the way. Despite their loss of a loved one, they both know that they still have each other and the other residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

_'I hope that that woman would finally move on. Like us at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.'_

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Author Notes: I had trouble with this chapter, especially since I am busy within the past few days. In any case, this feels more like Chapter 1.5 than a proper Chapter 2.

**Thank you for reading and please submit a review.**


	3. Chapter 3: Primrose

_Alice Margatroid now stood in front of the gates of Makai._

_Her visit had been full of tears as always._

_However, she did meet Sakuya and Meiling's daughter again._

_And she did find out that Sakuya has died..._

_Another friend lost..._

_If she was there at the time, her heart would definitely die._

_Alas, time is running out._

_She stood still._

_Her body faded away into specks of light._

_Only a straw doll remained where she was standing before._

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**Those Left Behind**

**Chapter 3: Primrose**

**by lenne18**

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"Milady, are you alright?"

Alice slowly opened her eyes.

"I'm fine, Yumeko."

Alice is currently placing her right palm on the other side of the gate. She is panting heavily using the gate as support.

Alice asked, "Is everything alright here?"

"Yes."

Alice felt her strength returning to her. She stood up and fixed her dress.

"Good. Let us go back to Pandemonium."

The pair started flying back. It's a long way back home but it shouldn't take an hour.

"It's getting harder and harder to do that spell," Alice said.

"And why is that?" Yumeko replied.

"The border is strengthening every year. A time will come when I can't do this anymore," Alice said with a dejected look.

The journey towards Pandemonium had been quiet since then. Along the way, they got a few greetings here and there. The residents of Makai have been very supportive of the new ruler. Perhaps, it's because Alice herself mingles with them more than her mother.

**xxx**

"Master Alice, Lady Shinki wishes to see you. She is in the kitchen," one of the maids said as Alice entered the front doors.

Alice nodded in reply. She dismissed the maid and Yumeko. She proceeded to go to the kitchen.

"Mother?" Alice asked, peeking through the door.

"Alice? Come help me for a bit," Shinki replied.

Shinki is in her usual red dress except that she's also wearing an apron. She just took out a tray of cookies from the oven. Alice is confused.

"Try one for me," Shinki said, taking a cookie from the tray. She held it out in front of Alice. Alice took the cookie and ate it.

"Is it good?"

"Mmmm..." is all Alice could say. "What's the occasion, Mother?"

"Nothing. I just want to bake something. That is all."

Alice looked dissatisfied with the reply. It's not everyday her mother bakes something.

"So... ummm... how did the visit go?" Shinki said, trying to change the subject.

"Usual..."

"I see."

Shinki couldn't help but feel sorry for her daughter. Saying she could understand her feelings is a lie and they both knew that.

"I know that you miss them but please stop blaming yourself, Alice," Shinki said as she hugged her daughter.

_'I'm sorry, Mother, but I can't. I could have done something, anything. With the full power of the grimoire, I know I could...'_

**xxx**

Mother and daughter are walking around Pandemonium. Alice's dolls are carrying two trays with a tea set and the cookies from earlier.

"We're taking these to Mima, aren't we?" Alice said with a scowl on her face.

"My, such a harsh tone," Shinki said.

"I don't exactly approve your relationship with her."

"Well, you don't know her like I do, sweetie," Shinki said with a smile.

Alice continued scowling. Shinki thinks her face is cute so she decided to do nothing. They walked through countless corridors until they found themselves in front of the library. Shinki opened the door. Mima is inside, reading a journal of some sort. On closer inspection, it was probably a diary.

"Hello, Mima," Shinki said.

Mima looked up. She then closed the book and cleared the table she was working on.

"Hello, Shinki, Alice. What brings you here?"

"We brought tea and cookies," Shinki said. "Say _ahhh_…"

"Ahhh..."

Shiki brought a cookie into Mima's mouth. Alice blushed, feeling awkward for seeing this.

"This is delicious. You made it?"

"Yup!"

Alice couldn't take the sweet atmosphere any longer.

"I'm leaving..."

Alice turned her back at the couple and gripped the door handle.

"Hey, Alice. Wait..." Mima said. She grabbed one of her shoulders tightly. Alice stood stiff. She could see memories again...

**xxx**

"Why?" Marisa said as she grabbed one of Alice's shoulders tightly.

Alice was silent.

"Is it because I'm human and you're a youkai? Because I can be a youkai magician anytime. Just for you."

Alice shook her head.

"Then why? Am I mistaken that you do not love me? That I misread your feelings towards me?"

Alice shook her head again.

"Then why, Alice!"

"Because I have something that I must do."

"This is about you ruling Makai, isn't it? Why not just stay here with me?"

"You know that Makai is important to me, Marisa."

Marisa slumped. She heaved out a heavy sigh.

"If that's the case, why don't you just come to Makai with me," Alice said.

"No!" Marisa said. "I'm not going to leave Gensokyo and my friends. I'm not going to be like her in that regard."

Marisa paused. She then breathed heavily.

"Plus, I don't want to see her again."

"Mima?"

Marisa nodded.

"The border was recently strengthened and made into a one-way path," Alice said. "Once you go outside the border, you can never go back. The only ones who could go back in are Yukari and Hinata."

Marisa listened to Alice. Her expression tells her to continue. Alice breathed heavily.

"I'm giving you a choice, Marisa. If you want to be with me, we'll leave Gensokyo and go to Makai. You're going to talk to Mima and sort out your issues."

"And what if I don't want to?"

"Then, we'll still stay here as friends until sooner or later, I go back to Makai and leave Gensokyo forever."

"Can't you just stay here forever?"

"I'm sorry but my mind is made up. I'm going back to Makai whether you like it or not."

Marisa sighed. Alice shook her head and walked towards the front door.

"I'm leaving," Alice said. Her hand is already at the door knob.

"Wait." Marisa tugged Alice's dress.

"I'm taking a third option..."

"Huh!"

"I want you to stay here in Gensokyo until I die. Even as friends or as lovers, I don't care. I won't leave my friends behind but I won't let you leave me either."

Alice smiled. She turned towards Marisa and she saw that she is smiling as well.

_'Stubborn Marisa...'_

"I-I need a favor," Marisa said, shyly.

"What now? Is this my reply to you?"

"I don't care anymore about your answer. Just close your eyes."

Alice shrugged. She closed her eyes as Marisa said. _'I hope she won't kill me for this...'_

"Itadakimasu..." Marisa whispered.

**xxx**

Alice touched her lips after the memories. But reality came crashing down on her. She remembered the hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Alice?" Mima said.

Alice felt a sudden anger at the woman. She turned to face her and shouted, "Don't touch me!"

Mima jerked her hand back. She was speechless.

"Alice!" cried Shinki. Alice did not pay it mind.

"Marisa would've been alive here and well if it wasn't for you! She would've been smiling here, at my side. But she's dead, just because you did something stupid!"

Mima just stood there, still speechless from before.

"I hate you!" Alice said as she raised her arm.

Mima, realizing what was about to come, closed her eyes and braced herself. But it never came. She opened one of her eyes to see her hand still raised but she stood there frozen. Mima shivered. She could feel pure rage from the girl in front of her. She was lucky that she came to her senses at the last second.

Alice lowered her hand.

"I'm leaving."

Alice left the room silently.

Mima sighed with relief.

"Are you okay?" Shinki said.

"Yeah," Mima said.

"I'm sorry. It just happened too fast," Shinki said. "I'll talk to her later."

Mima shook her head. "I can't believe she'll hit me though... In any case, I want to be alone for now. Thanks for the cookies and tea, Shinki."

Mima phased through the floor.

Shinki sighed. "This has gone too far..."

**xxx**

"Mima? You there?" Shinki called out. She was searching the entirety of the fortress for the spirit with the help of the maids.

Shinki opened the door to the grand terrace, a place where you can see a beautiful view of Makai. It is Mima's favorite place in the castle so she was hoping she was here.

Shinki looked and there was Mima. At her would-be feet lies 2 empty bottles of wine. On her hand is another bottle half-full.

_'Mima must have stolen them from the kitchen before coming here.'_

"Shinki? Is that you?" Mima called out while still staring at the view. Her voice indicates that she is not drunk contrary to the amount of alcohol she has consumed.

"Yes. Am I bothering you?"

"No. Not at all."

Shinki came closer and stood next to her.

"How's Alice?" Mima asked.

"I wanted to talk to her but she locked herself in her room."

"I see."

Mima sighed.

"Maybe she was right after all..." Mima said.

"What do you mean?" Shinki asked.

"I know Marisa... And doing what I did... I shouldn't have put my hopes up that it will be alright at the end."

Shinki stood there silently. Listening to whatever Mima has to say.

"Marisa... must have felt betrayed when I just left her like that..."

"That's probably an understatement," Shinki jokingly said.

"Maybe. But I have to do it. I want something in Makai to justify me staying here."

"A clue to your past, right?"

"Right. I don't want Marisa to know about it. If I know that this would end this way, I would have thought of a better plan."

"Still, there's nothing we could do. It was already done..."

Shinki bowed her head so that her eyes are hidden from view. She then started mumbling. Mima looked at her curiously.

"I've got it!"

"Wha-"

"We just have to bring back Marisa from the Netherworld!"

"Are you nuts? The Yama would kill us!"

"What if we beat the Yama?"

"This is a crazy plan. We'll be upsetting the balance of life and death!"

"So? What about you, Miss Netherworld Runaway?"

Mima sighed. "Well, I ran away before there was a balance and Reimu already fixed that..."

"Please?" Shinki pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

"Urgh..." Mima conceded. "Fine... You win. I hate it when you do that..."

Shinki stuck her tongue out. At that moment, Mima wondered if she really is the former ruler of Makai.

**xxx**

"Where are we going?" Mima asked. The couple has been flying for quite a while now.

"The Land of Dreams," Shinki replied.

"Huh! What are we going to do there? Aren't we going to the Netherworld?"

"We can't go there without forcing our way in. Forcing our way in would destroy its borders along with it. Of course, somebody did that before that's why the Yama decided to strengthen the border."

Mima sheepishly smiled at Shinki's statement.

"Couldn't we just sneak past the weakest point in the border?" Mima asked.

"There is a weak point," Shinki said. "The Sanzu River."

"Well? Let's go there instead," Mima happily said.

"Are you really from Gensokyo?" Shinki shook her head. "From the Netherworld, crossing the Sanzu River leads to where?"

"Where?" Mima crossed her arms to think. She didn't pay attention to anything in Gensokyo except for Reimu, Marisa, incidents, the shrine and her house.

"Hmm... Gensokyo..." Mima muttered.

"See?" Shinki teased.

"Know-it-all..."

"I did a little research a few years back," Shinki proudly said.

"Back to the original question," Mima said with a serious tone. "Why are we going to the Land of Dreams?"

"We're going to ask a favor to a friend."

_'Friend?' _Mima thought._ 'When Shinki says friend, it means only one person...'_

"Hijiri..." Mima said with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Yup. We'll communicate with her through her dream," Shinki replied, oblivious to Mima's jealous state.

Mima pushed the jealous thoughts out of her mind and focused on their task. _'This is not the time or place to be jealous.'_ A thought crossed her mind.

"Wait... How would Hijiri help us? How would her magic help us?"

"Tsk tsk tsk..." Shinki crossed her arms and shook her head. "We're going to use Byakuren to convince the infamous gap youkai to help us."

"And?" Mima raised her eyebrow.

"And?" Shinki raised her eyebrow as well.

"That's it?"

"Yup. The gap youkai could then transfer us to the Netherworld or to Gensokyo. It's a great plan, right?"

Mima sighed. "Why not ask the gap youkai directly?"

"Because I don't know her personally. I only know her due to the stories Alice tells me. Her name already slipped my mind to tell the truth."

Mima sighed again. It seems Shinki planned this all ahead of time. Still, she can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen.

_'Not just bad. Something really really bad...'_

The crystalline grounds of Makai have slowly turned into soft soil. Moments later, the soil had become a garden filled with grass and flowers. Most of the flowers are evening primroses.

_'Welcomed by primroses. How appropriate,' _Shinki thought.

They have finally arrived at their destination.

The Land of Dreams.

* * *

Author Notes: Phew! Chapter 3 is finished. A little Mima x Shinki shipping. I decided to cut it off here as it is a great cliffhanger in my opinion. In any case, I should probably start having character notes as they will be important in the future so we'll start with the ladies of the Hakurei clan.

* * *

Name: Hinata Hakurei

Ability: Manipulation of borders and boundaries in and near Gensokyo

Other Info:

Reimu's only daughter and heir. Yukari is her godmother and as a gift, she gave Hinata a small dose of her own power. This power is enough to repair, strengthen or weaken any boundary as long as it is inside Gensokyo. She is limited to gap teleportation outside Gensokyo if she is still near the border and if further away, she loses her powers. She could also create borders like Reimu and uses them in such a way that she is infamous for it. A failed Lunar Invasion and a Netherworld Incident forced her to modify the Hakurei Border to a one-way path and strengthen the Border between Life and Death. Her husband had passed away but despite that, she is still living happily in the Hakurei Shrine with her daughter Akane and her granddaughter, Keiko.

* * *

Name: Akane Hakurei

Ability: Incredible strength and power

Other Info:

Akane Hakurei is the previous Hakurei shrine maiden. A strong and skilled woman with a heart of gold. Despite her lack of cuteness, she is rather popular in Gensokyo because of her nice figure and her good cooking. She is currently learning various Chinese martial arts from Hong Meiling. Her husband is living with her in the shrine. She is rather fond of her grandmother, Reimu, and her adventures. She is the only one in Gensokyo whom Alice talks to. A dream of hers is to meet Mima.

* * *

Name: Keiko Hakurei

Ability: Ability to create, modify and enforce laws

Other Info:

Keiko Hakurei is the current Hakurei shrine maiden. She has an uncanny resemblance to Reimu in both looks and personality but is much friendlier to those close to her. She is best friends with Ranka Kochiya of the Moriya Shrine, despite the fact that she does not care about her friend's strange interests. She displays a full mastery of the Yin-Yang Orb despite her age and uses it as her main form of attack in spellcard battles. She is rather fond of ribbons and uses a different color of ribbon each day.

* * *

Done. I'll do notes for the Kochiyas and Sakura in the next chapter. Thanks for those who reviewed my past chapters.

**Thank you for reading and please submit a review.**


	4. Chapter 4: Renge

_Byakuren..._

_Byakuren, my old friend..._

_I need a favor..._

_

* * *

_

**Those Left Behind**

**Chapter 4: Renge**

**by lenne18**

**

* * *

**

"Ugh..."

Byakuren Hijiri opened her eyes.

"What time is it?"

The clock beside her futon reads 12:16 AM.

Byakuren groaned. Her friend, Shinki, asked for a favor in her dream.

"Ask the gap youkai to transfer her to Gensokyo or the Netherworld. What is she trying to do?"

She got up and wrote it down in a piece of paper before she forgot her dream. The message is clear but it was a dream. Dreams are illusions the mind creates when asleep but she has this nagging feeling on the back of her head that tells her to do it. Regardless, she would not be able to go back to sleep.

She proceeded to get dressed quietly as not to wake the others. She took her deck of spellcards. She checked them one by one and paused at the last card, [Great Magic] "Devil's Recitation". She smiled a bit at the card and then took the deck into her pocket.

She wrote a small note with details on where she went and pinned it to her bedroom door.

She walked around the temple silently until she could get outside. She then flew in the direction of Mayohiga as she felt the coldness of the night in her face.

**xxx**

"I'm sorry but I can't allow you to see the Mistress," a lady with nine fox tails said. Judging by her posture, she had probably just woken up.

"But this is important," Byakuren said. She was sitting down in the lounge with Ran, the shikigami of Yukari Yakumo. Yukari is the gap youkai that is infamous in Gensokyo and, probably, in other worlds since Shinki knows her.

"I'm sorry but you just have to go back tomorrow."

Byakuren hastily stood up and went past Ran.

"Hey! What are you doing? You can't just barge in like that!" Ran said as she followed Byakuren through the hallways.

"It's either I'll find her and wake her up or you do it."

"Leave now or else..." Ran angrily said.

"I don't have time for a spellcard battle," Byakuren said. She cast a sleep spell on her.

Ran was caught off-guard as she drifted off to sleep.

"I'm sorry but I have to do this. Just sleep there for a few minutes."

Byakuren continued to search the Western-style mansion for Yukari Yakumo.

On her search, she managed to find a cat girl on one of the rooms but still no sign of the gap youkai.

She has searched every room in the mansion except one. She hoped that the youkai is in here.

She opened the door and to her surprise, she found Yukari Yakumo, still in her nightgown, sitting on her extravagant bed. The room is fairly dark with the moon illuminating it through the windows.

"I've been expecting you, Ms. Hijiri," she said.

"Byakuren is fine, Ms. Yakumo," Byakuren replied.

"Sit here," the gap youkai said as she patted the empty space beside her. "And call me Yukari."

Byakuren did as she was told. If she wants to have this youkai's favor, it would be best to do as she says.

"If you're wondering why I'm awake, I heard a ruckus downstairs. I peeked a bit and saw you casting magic on my shikigami. After you left, I took her to her bed so don't worry."

Byakuren was surprised to say the least. She did not sense her presence at all.

"Oh, I didn't show myself because I need time to make myself presentable and I thought it would be fun for you to play treasure hunt," Yukari said as she smiled.

Byakuren is filled with both anger and interest at the youkai.

"Your face is cute." Yukari cupped Byakuren's cheek. "Your face shows what you're thinking."

Byakuren blushed. Yukari, satisfied with her reaction, removed her hands from Byakuren's face. Yukari looked at her seriously. Byakuren looked back with the same seriousness in her eyes.

"Why are you here in the middle of the night?" Yukari asked.

"I need a favor. I want you to transfer a friend of mine from the Land of Dreams to either here in Gensokyo or the Netherworld," Byakuren explained.

"No. I won't do it," Yukari said aloofly.

"May I ask why?"

"Because I just don't want to. If you want me to do it, you have to convince me," Yukari said.

Byakuren sighed. She stood up and bowed down to the floor.

"Listen, I owe my life to this friend of mine. Please, we need your help..."

"No," Yukari replied with no delay.

Byakuren is starting to get angry. Normally, it takes a lot to make her angry but the lack of sleep and Yukari's attitude is starting to get to her.

She opened her mouth to shout but Yukari placed a finger on her lips. She patted the place where she was sitting before.

Byakuren sighed again and sat down at the bed. Yukari smiled at her and placed a hand on top of hers.

"Tell me your story..."

**xxx**

"Who's there?" Byakuren yelled out.

She was trapped here in Makai for hours. Her arms are chained to a rock with a special seal. By the looks of things, nobody is going to rescue her. Maybe her faithful followers had already been killed by the treacherous humans. She could blame no one but herself. Fearing death, she cheated her way out of her mortality. She should have known that some humans would be jealous by her youthful appearance and her great influence.

But it is useless to even try and think about it. The footsteps are getting closer. Perhaps she would be killed, slowly and painfully, by the humans who had trapped her here. She may not age but she could still be killed by other means. That thought alone made her remember Myouren and his death.

_'At least I could see you again, brother...'_

She closed her eyes, preparing for the inevitable when...

"Are you okay?"

Byakuren heard the voice of an angel, so sweet and cute. Surely, this is not one of those humans. Byakuren opened her eyes but to her surprise, it was not an angel who said it but a devil. The devil that _those _humans said was oppressing them. And it looks like she brought her maid with her.

The devil tried to touch her but as soon as she did, a strong shock of electricity course through both their bodies. Luckily, the maid hastily removed the contact and both Byakuren and the devil panted.

"A strong seal. Whoever did this is pretty good," the devil said. "If Sariel was still here, she could have gotten you out here easily."

"Why... are you doing this?" Byakuren managed to say until her vision faded to black.

By the time she woke up, she was still chained to the rock. She remembered the devil with the voice of an angel. Looking around, she saw that she was alone.

"It must've been a dream."

As she said this, Byakuren heard footsteps. _'This seems familiar...' _She then remembered her "dream" and again closed her eyes.

"Hey!"

At the voice, Byakuren opened her eyes again to see the same devil, smiling at her.

"Ugh..."

"I brought food with me this time. You hungry?" The devil cheerfully said.

The same maid from before materialized behind her with a basket. The maid went beside the devil and together, laid out the contents of the basket. It looks like the three of them are having a picnic.

"Say ahhh..." The devil said. Byakuren remembered what happened last time but she could not resist the devil's cute facial expression. Reluctantly, she opened her mouth. No shock came and instead, only the great taste of the hand fed bread filled her senses.

"Is it good?" The devil said.

Byakuren just nodded. The devil happily fed her another piece until she couldn't eat anymore.

"That was good," Byakuren said as they finished eating.

"I bring unfortunate news for you though," the devil said. "The seal that is binding you is personalized, meaning only the person who cast that spell will be able to get you out there. Alternatively, a magic key made by the same person can also be used to break it. I could break it by force but I fear it may cost you your life."

"I see... You said someone named Sariel could break the seal."

The devil nodded. "Sariel can probably break it but she has been missing for quite some time. Last time I heard, she was fighting someone from outside. I could probably do it too but my knowledge of seals is limited unlike Sariel's."

Byakuren sighed. "I guess I'm stuck here, huh."

"For the time being, yeah. Don't worry, I'll be sending a few of my minions to find this magician."

"Thank you. Why are you so kind to me?"

The devil replied, "Do you need a reason to help someone?"

A smile crept across Byakuren's mouth. And she saw that the devil smiled, too.

"I am Hijiri Byakuren."

"I am Shinki."

And that was the start of their relationship. Everyday at roughly the same time, Byakuren would have some sort of tea party with Shinki or if she is busy, with her maid, Yumeko. Sometimes, if both of them are unavailable, Shinki would send someone over just to give her some company. Byakuren came to personally know some of the residents. While her condition is not in any way good, the residents of Makai had made it bearable. Although sometimes, she wished she could sleep normally instead of relying on her sleep spell.

Years passed and aside from a single incident, nothing peculiar came up. Until now, that is...

"Lady Byakuren!" A pair of youkai yelled.

Byakuren, expecting Shinki, looked surprised. She had not heard those voices in years. She yelled back.

"Shou! I'm here!"

The couple immediately ran towards the voice.

"Nazrin, the key?" Shou said.

The mouse youkai hurriedly threw the key at the seal. Upon contact, the seal dissolved. Byakuren is now free.

"Let's hurry up and get out of here!" Shou said.

"What is going on?" Byakuren asked, never moving from her place.

"A group of humans are trying to exterminate us," Nazrin said.

A large crash interrupted the trio. A large ship is heading their way. The trio flew as fast as they can.

"They're here," Shou said. "Master, please leave here at once. I'll try to distract them away. Please try to make it to the ship. Murasa is there."

Byakuren shook her head.

"I have something else to do," Byakuren said as she flew faster, leaving her subordinates behind.

"Wha-" Shou sighed. "I guess we don't have a choice. Nazrin, we'll stand guard until Master is back!"

'Shinki, where are you?' Byakuren asked to herself.

She spotted Shinki and Yumeko flying towards her. The both of them are surprised.

"You're free..." Shinki said.

"Yes. My followers saved me," Byakuren replied. "I just want to thank you for all these years."

"I see. Where are you going now?"

"Gensokyo."

"Gensokyo, huh..."

Shinki waved her hand in the air. A set of cards and a piece of paper appeared. She gave them to Byakuren.

"What are these?" Byakuren asked. She took a card and looked at its face.

''[Great Magic] Devil's Recitation," she muttered under her breath.

"These are the spellcards that I've told to you before," Shinki explained. "The paper should explain the basics of Gensokyo's spellcard system."

Byakuren closed her eyes. Tears are already forming. "Thank you. I... will never forget you."

"I will never forget you, too. Visit us someday, okay?"

Byakuren nodded. She hugged Shinki for the first time, tears streaming down her face.

Another loud crash was heard.

"This isn't goodbye," Byakuren said.

"Until we meet again," Shinki replied.

And with that, Byakuren flew towards the source of the loud crash.

**xxx**

"And then I met _them_, got beaten up, talked to by Ms. Hakurei and the rest is history," Byakuren said. "Why did you want to hear it anyway?"

"We haven't really talked since you and your subordinates settled here. So I thought that this is a good opportunity to get to know you better."

"Okay... So will you help me now?"

"I never said that I'll help you if you told me your story," Yukari said, smiling.

"Eeehhh..." Byakuren muttered. "But..."

"Awww... You're so cute."

Byakuren pouted. Yukari just smiled wider.

"I'm joking! I'm joking! I'll help you. After all, this might have to do with Alice..."

"Alice?"

"The seven-colored puppeteer. I feel that we are very much alike right now."

Byakuren knew Alice. She is a famous person at the Human Village.

_'But what does this have to do with Shinki?'_

Yukari stood up and proceeded to her night stand. Several pictures adored the night stand. Yukari picked up a particular photo. A photo where a blonde girl and a pink-haired girl are smiling.

"Yes... We are very much alike..."

Yukari proceeded to remove the straps of her nightgown. Byakuren, still in her thoughts, never noticed what she did until she heard the sound of something dropping. She turned her head at the noise and noticed a nightgown at someone's feet. Afraid to look up to that someone, she made a mad dash towards the door.

"I'm sorry!"

_*thud*_

Yukari smiled. She remembered a certain memory...

_"You really have a beautiful skin, Yukari. I'm kind of envious."_

Yukari shook her head and sighed. This is not the time for reminiscing.

"I wonder what she is doing right now..."

Yukari picked out from her closet her plain purple dress, the one Yuyuko said that was her favorite.

**xxx**

Meanwhile on Makai, the master's bedroom is dark, only filled with light from the outside.

The large door leading to the balcony, where a person could see the whole of the capital, is open.

The room is messy but there is no sign that the mess is man-made.

No signs of life or a struggle are found.

A cold breeze blew through the open door and into the completely lifeless room.

The room is cold, lonely and lifeless.

Just like Alice Margatroid's heart.

And Alice, the person who uses said room, is no where to be found.

* * *

Author Notes: Sorry for the long delay. I had too much schoolwork these past few months. And I got addicted to playing Final Fantasy 1. *laughs* As promised, these are the character profiles of the Kochiyas and Sakura as well as Akane's husband.

**

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**

Name: Ranka Kochiya

Ability: Power to cause miracles to occur by singing

Other Info:

The Moriya Shrine's current shrine maiden. Her mother passed away due to childbirth and her grandparents also passed away in her early years. Her father works as a teacher in the Human Village. Best friend of Keiko. A manga otaku, specifically yuri manga. She visits the Scarlet Devil Mansion from time to time to read books and manga. As such, she is friendly with the youkai there.

* * *

Name: Yuuki Kochiya

Ability: To be able to speak, read and write in any language

Other Info:

Ranka's father. A mild-mannered otaku from the outside world. How he had come to Gensokyo is unknown. He says to everyone that he left home in the age of 18 with his things in order to live independently from his parents. Having no place to stay in his first night of independency, he went to the park and slept there. When he woke up, he was already in Gensokyo. He is the one who named Ranka.

* * *

Name: Kou Hakurei

Ability: Proficient with spears

Other Info:

A resident of Gensokyo since birth and Akane's husband. A retired spearman from the Human Village. While he is retired, he could still beat Akane from time to time using his wits. He is humorously known as "Red Hat" due to the distinct red hat he always wears when he was still a village guardian. He now spends his days at the Hakurei Shrine, fixing and cleaning it, and tending to the garden he set up at the back.

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Name: Sakura Izayoi

Ability: Chinese Martial Arts, Time manipulation

Other Info:

The daughter of Hong Meiling and Sakuya Izayoi. Explaining how that happened is a long story by itself but she usually just tells that, "A drunken magician decided to finally resolve the tension between two of her friend's employees that got a bit too far. Nobody stopped her because everyone else is also drunk." She is born during the last day of cherry blossom viewing. Remilia and company had to miss their only chance of flower viewing in that year. Sakuya named her so that, "While we may not be able to see the sakura trees today, we at least had our own Sakura." She considers Patchouli her godmother, Remilia and Flandre as her employers and Koakuma as her friend and coworker. Ranka refers to her as 'Onee-sama'.

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That's the last of the character profiles. The ending is near so watch out for that.

**Thank you for reading and please submit a review.**


	5. Chapter 5: Himawari

"Good evening!"

"Good evening, Miss Night Sparrow. I'll have the usual," a man with short silver hair said.

"One grilled lamprey and 6 cans of beer. Is that all, Red Hat?"

"That's fine. And don't call me that, Mystia. I told you to call me Kou."

* * *

**Those Left Behind**

**Chapter 5: Himawari**

**by lenne18**

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"Okay, Mister Kou Red Hat Hakurei."

Kou shook his head. He was being teased again. Apparently, his favorite hat branded him for life and probably, even in the afterlife.

Mystia giggled as she took out six cans and a lamprey from a container underneath the stand. She gave the cans to Kou and proceeded to cook the lamprey.

"Akane will murder you if she finds out you have been drinking again."

"Nah, I got permission to drink," Kou said, smiling.

Mystia shook her head. "At least, you have more money than Reimu. Of course, everybody has more money than her."

"Is Grandmother Reimu really that poor?" Kou asked.

"You bet she is!" Mystia exclaimed. She handed the already grilled lamprey to him.

"I could probably tell with all the much needed repairs on the shrine."

At this, both of them giggled. Afterwards, they went to do their own thing. Kou said his prayer and ate his food. He proceeded to open his first can when a couple arrived.

"Good evening, Mokou," a blushing Mystia greeted one of the couple.

"Hey! I'm here, too!" Gensokyo's resident doctor, Kaguya Houraisan, berated at the cart lady.

Mokou and Kou giggled at the moon princess' outburst. Kaguya stared at them, which shut them up.

"Lady, give us your strongest alcohol," Mokou said at Mystia.

As Mystia went further back to check her inventory, Mokou and Kaguya already sat at the stand.

"Drinking alone, Kou?" Kaguya asked.

"Yeah... I have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that just won't go. It feels like a very strong storm is coming or something as big as that," Kou replied.

He continued. "What brings the two of you here? And where's Keine?"

Mokou replied, "Keine said she'll rest for the night. She and Yuuki must have been tired from running the school. As for why we're here, I have to do something to force someone out of her house for a while."

Kou looked at Kaguya. And then he looked at Mokou. The couple stared at him blankly. Kou then smirked and said, "I see..."

Kaguya retorted, "This isn't a date!"

A loud crash was heard from behind the stall. Mystia had dropped a small bottle of wine while searching.

"Lady, you okay there?" Mokou shouted.

"I'm okay!"

"Lady, you need some help?" Mokou asked. Before Mystia answered, Mokou already stood up from her seat and went to help the night sparrow.

Kaguya and Kou had a staring contest despite the crash. Kou smirked and said, "I didn't say you were on a date."

"Fine..."

Kou's face turned serious. "Something wrong, Princess? Normally, you would tease back."

Just then, Mokou returned from the back with a bottle. "She's still hung up over her lost patient." She turned to Kaguya and handed her a bottle of flavored gin. "Here, drink up." Mystia had already placed two glasses in front of Kaguya before sweeping the pieces of the bottle she dropped earlier.

"We could have done something to that child. Miss Satsuki, Reisen, Eirin's notes... We had everything but we still couldn't save her," Kaguya said.

"A loss is a loss, Kaguya," Kou said. "Sometimes, you just have to accept it. Try to move on or you will never forgive yourself."

"But..."

"Believe me. I've lost far too many comrades during the Lunar War."

All of them bowed their heads in silence. Mokou filled her glass with wine and raised it up. "Cheers!"

Kou and Kaguya followed suit. "Cheers!"

Mokou said out loud, "We're here to drink and forget our worries for one night so let's make it happen!" And she gulped down her drink. Mystia decided to join the group in drinking saying she might as well close down early for the night. The group chatted away into the night like there's nothing to worry. Of course, Kou had the courage to say something very inappropriate.

"Mokou, did you ever wonder what it would feel like if you had slept with Keine, Kaguya and Mystia at the same time?"

That statement was met with a threat from Mokou, who promised to burn down his favorite red hat. The hat in question is in the Hakurei Shrine, safe and sound.

Buried in fun and laughter, the group never noticed that someone was flying over them in the direction of Mayohiga.

**xxx**

Mokou woke up from her nap. She still feels the alcohol in her body as she tries to get a hold of herself.

"Why am I here?"

Mokou said as she lay beside the sleeping forms of Reisen Udonge Inaba and Kaguya. Then she remembered.

_'Of course...'_

She had to bring back the drunk princess to Eientei since she is the one who brought her out.

_"Mokou, you should be friendly with the residents of Eientei," _a nagging Keine said in Mokou's mind.

Mokou sighed. Keine is usually right about this kind of stuff so she just followed her advice. She did tried to complain but Keine just told her that _"every once in a while is okay"_ so she just followed that as well.

Eientei wasn't what it used to be as Eirin went back to the Moon after the war and when Tewi died, the other rabbits fled the place. Kaguya took Eirin's place as the doctor but she isn't as good as her. Eientei had become a cold and lonesome place.

Mokou looked around the room she was in. The room is warm unlike the rest of Eientei.

"Maybe that's why I was invited to sleep here for the night?"

Mokou shook her head. That reason is impossible. These two have each other, there's no way...

_"Inaba, let's play a prank..."_

_"Master, don't leave me..."_

Mokou turned her head towards the two sleeping figures. They must have been sleep talking...

"Mokou... Thank you..."

Mokou turned to Kaguya. The princess does look beautiful but Mokou would not and will not admit it to her face. Still, she is still jealous that Kaguya found something that she wants to do. So much that they would only fight one another once in a while instead of every day.

Mokou yawned. She better go to sleep before she was caught staring at the princess.

"I better thank Keine when I see her..." she mumbled as she went back to sleep.

**xxx**

"Kou?" Akane woke up from slumber as she heard some rustling.

The smell of alcohol is in the air.

"Sorry, Akane," Kou said sheepishly. His face is still red due to the alcohol. He was sitting in front of the cabinet. In his hand, a bunch of old photos probably taken from the drawer.

"What are you looking at?" Akane said as she took some of photos from Kou's hand.

She saw her younger self smiling back with her grandmother.

"You were cute back then and you are still cute now," Kou said.

Akane stooped down to meet his eyes and said, "If you aren't drunk, I would've blushed by now."

Kou sheepishly smiled at his wife.

"So why the old photos?" Akane said as she gave them back to Kou.

"Just looking for pictures of your grandmother when she was young. I went to Mysty's and we talked about her. She's an interesting person if any of the things I've heard were true."

"Well, only the youkai folks say that," Akane replied.

"You're grandmother's cute, Akane," Kou said as he handed over a photo to her.

Akane looked at the photo. It seems like it is a group picture, probably taken after a party held at the shrine. She could recognize some of them like Remilia, Yukari and Satori. Then there is this weird blonde witch beside Alice. She reminds her of someone although she could not put her finger into it.

Akane handed the photo back after pondering without any answers. Kou took the photo and together with the other photographs, placed it back inside the drawer. He closed the drawer and tried standing up. However, the effect of alcohol in his body is still strong and he dragged Akane down to the floor.

They are now in a very embarrassing position to say the least with Kou lying on top of a still dazed Akane. The moment was cut short however as the sliding door opened. They looked towards the door and was surprised to see Hinata.

"Are you going to make me another granddaughter?" Hinata chuckled for a bit.

The couple looked at each other and blushed.

"I know that I haven't been privy about your...ugh... _personal _life. And I really want to have another granddaughter. But we've got work to do."

Hinata closed the door as she said to herself, "Aah... It's good to be young."

**xxx**

The cave going to Makai is very noisy. A large amount of humans and youkai are walking in two groups.**  
**

"Why are we here again?" asked an irritated Remilia Scarlet, the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"Be patient, Remilia," said Keine Kamishirasawa, the head teacher and protector of the Human Village. Kaguya Houraisan, representing Eientei and its nearby residents, is beside her.

A sigh escapes from Shou Toramaru, the representative for the residents of Myouren Temple. Her aura around her is heavy and restless ever since she found out what happened to her mistress, Lady Byakuren, at Mayohiga.

Another heavy aura is nearby, this time coming from Ran Yakumo, representing the village of Mayohiga. Ran and Shou have an unspoken understanding about their mistresses and the troubles they cause for each of them. Neither said a word about it, which is probably for the best.

Ranka Kochiya, representing the residents of Youkai Mountain, is behind them talking with Satori Komeiji, the mistress of the Palace of the Earth Spirits and the representative for the Underground youkai.

Leading this unusual group is Hinata. The Hakurei clan called each of them at the middle of the night to go to the cave leading to the sealed entrance to Makai. Another group, right in front of them, is led by Kou and consists of Akane, Keiko, Sakura and Mokou. Hinata's group was forbidden from using any of their power and so, their only line of defense would be Kou's group.

They have been walking for a while now, which explains Remilia's irritation. Hinata explained everything before walking inside the cave. The representatives would be channeling the powers of everyone under their jurisdiction. The representatives, in turn, would channel the power to Hinata and will serve as a power source to repair the Gensokyo-Makai border.

**"!"**

Everyone was alerted at the huge amount of dolls walking towards them.

"How boring~" Remilia said, grinning, already extending her claws.

"No fighting, Remilia," Hinata said. "Leave this to Kou's group."

Kou's group readied themselves for the eventual clash.

"This is going to be a long night..."

**xxx**

Shinki was pacing back and forth, waiting for her friend and the gap youkai.

_'She seems uneasy…'_

"Uh, Shinki..."

Just then a dark rift in space opened and out came two youkai from within it.

"Take me to Makai, right now!" Shinki exclaimed.

"Huh! What's happening? What about the plan?" Mima could feel a sudden cold from the air.

"I'll explain on the way. Hijiri, you come too!"

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Mima shouted.

Somehow, Mima has a bad feeling about this. Nevertheless, she stepped on the rift the gap youkai, known as Yukari Yakumo, had just made together with Shinki and Byakuren.

**xxx**

A big, swirling, dark void in what used to be Makai's gate to Gensokyo greeted Shinki and company.

"What is that?" Mima asked.

"A rift in Gensokyo's border caused by someone extremely powerful," Yukari replied, nonchalantly.

"Alice did this, didn't she?" Mima asked again.

Shinki only nodded her head.

"This is my fault, isn't it?"

Shinki shook her head. She then faced Yukari and said, "You can fix this, right?"

"Yes, but I need a power source that could rival that of a dragon's."

"I see. Mima, Hijiri, I need your help. I need you two to gather everyone here. Mima, if you see Yumeko, tell her to come see me. She should be around here somewhere."

Mima and Hijiri nodded. Then, they hastily flew away leaving Shinki and Yukari alone.

Shinki released her power. Big, purple wings manifested on her back. Yukari could feel the powerful aura coming from the goddess.

"Before everyone gets here, I'll be your source. Tell me what to do, Miss 'Gap Youkai'."

As Yukari tells Shinki about their plan of action, Yukari had suddenly felt something is off.

'_Something's not right here. This rift is __easy for someone like me or Hinata to repair, especially with the amount of powerful people on both sides... What are you planning to do, Alice?'_

**xxx**

'_Everything is going according to plan…'_

Alice smiled as she flew in Gensokyo's skies. Her little incident would be linked to her without questions but it will buy her a large amount of time for her next plan of action.

'_Repairing the border would take at least 4 hours, given of Yukari's expertise. The incident would also thin out __the border, destroying the effect of Keiko and Hinata's border rules.'_

Alice felt another magic strand from her hand vanish.

'_The doll army is also working wonders for delaying the Gensokyo repair group. With the current amount of dolls still active, it __would take them at least an hour before arriving at the rift.'_

Another strand vanished from her hand.

'_With both groups repairing the border, the time would be shortened to 2 hours at most. Plenty of time to sneak inside the Netherworld, retrieve my frie__nds and go back.'_

Alice could now see the huge door that separates the Netherworld and Gensokyo. She could barely keep her excitement. But as she got closer, she could make out four people- no, youkai- standing between her and her destination.

Suddenly, a big, blue laser was shot towards her. She narrowly dodged the shot. She recognized the spell immediately.

As she got closer, she could see the one who fired the shot with a wide grin on her face.

"Yuuka!"

Yuuka smiled wider, almost Cheshire Cat-like. With her are Kanako Yasaka and Suwako Moriya from the Moriya Shrine, and Hong Meiling from the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"Let me through, Yuuka!"

"As if I'm going to let you pass that easily…"

"How did you find me anyway?"

"We have a hunch that you'll be here. After all, the only person who could do such a stupid thing as this is you."

Alice turned her attention to the others.

"Let me through…Kanako…Suwako…Meiling…"

"While I would like her back in my life, I'm very certain that Sakuya would not approve of it. That's why I'll stop you here now," Meiling said as she took her battle stance.

Kanako said, "We gods have lived for a long time and parting with our shrine maidens was always sorrowful and difficult for us, Sanae's no exception."

Suwako continued, "Those shrine maidens in their whole life have always served two selfish gods and we could not thank them enough."

Finally, both of them said, "Thus, we will stop you here as not to disturb the souls of our shrine maidens, our _daughters_, because of your selfish whims. It's the least we could do."

"I see…"

Alice turned to Yuuka.

"I'm just here to fight. Getting trapped in my mansion all day for the last few years is boring," Yuuka said, smiling wider than before.

"Typical..."

Alice sighed.

"It seems I've got a slight change of plans."

Alice waved her hand. Suddenly, a huge doll army materialized behind her.

"I was supposed to use these for the Hakurei's but it seems more fitting to use them on you."

And Alice waved her hand forward, signaling the doll army to charge at the enemies.

"I now have the power to do things that I want, to protect the things that I cherish the most. I will bring back my friends from the afterlife and I will never be left behind ever again. My plan will come to fruition and** I will crush those who got in my way!**"

* * *

**Author Notes:** Sorry for the long delay. Real life caught up and had lots of things to do. Don't worry about this fic, it will not end up as dead. As always, thank you for reading and please submit a review.


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